Percussive ignition device.



W. H. SODEAU.`

. PERGUSSIVI: IGNITION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l2, 1909.

1,009,024, Patented 11011.14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

on +1 I L( N u ce' o W. H. SODEAU. PERGUSSIVE IGNITION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 14,1911.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAMV HORACE sonnen, 'er NnwcasTLnuroN-rrnn, ENGLAND, ,AssrGNoR To sin w. e. ARMSTRONG wnrrwonrn a comraivrrmrmn, or NnwcAsrLnUPoN-TYNE,

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PERCUSSIVE 'IGNTIUN TDEVIOE.

'Elpeciication of Letters Intent.

original appiieatiqn filed Mai-11.25, 1907, serial no; 364,519. miv'ieedand Vthis application filed' November r2, `1909. seriai nofzmao.

To all 'wkomt't may concern Be it known that IW1LLIAM HORACE SODEAU, a subject of the King yof Great Britain wick Works, VNewcastle-upon-Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Percussive Ignition Devices, of which .the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to `percussion igniter devices operated byfluid pressure' especially such as are applicable to compressed, .air heating apparatus.

Percusslon igniter devices are alread .known in which compressed fluid .releases a spring or the like, effecting thereafter a collision between the striker and the prime Such devices however, are usually complicated in design and possess the great disadvantage that owing to vibrations or the like the' locking mechanism may be unintentionally released and re'- sult in a premature ignition.

The object of the present invention `is to overcome these disadvantages and tol pro? duce an igniter which shall be simple -in construction andA reliable in action.

The inventionconsists for this purpose 1n 'a percussion igniter in which the striking ofthe moving member against` the fixed member is eilected by fluid pressure, thus dispensing with springs and the necessary tripr devices to hold said springs in this stressed position. By this means premature operation of the igniter by accidental release of the trip vdevice is avoided.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings Figure 'l shows diagrammatically. one

4form of the ignition device 'as applied to air heating plantsuitable for torpedoes. Fig. 4Qshows in section a modified form of the Aignition device in which the striker is out of contact with the primer. Fig.l 3 shows in detail and on a larger scale the lower recess provided in the piston and on the inner side of the cylinder wall as well as the spring engaging therein. Fig. 4 shows the ignition'device according to Fig. 2 after the ignition has been effected. Fig. 5 is a sec-l tion and Fig. 6 aplan view of the split ring `which is used in connection with the modified form of the igniter device.

One 4form of the invention is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to an air heating plant for and Ireland, and residing at Els-' emergency. The cock w,

described in detail in my specification, Serial No. 364,519. filed i-March 25th, 1907. The

:fluid, hereafter .known as air, is stored under pressure in a chamber,

0 a, the outlet, c, of which lscontrolled by the valve, b, placed ntee'nev. 14,1911.

in a pipe, 0, connecting the chamber, a, to

al reducing valve, LQ-from which the air passes by a pipe, e, tothe combustion chamber, f.' .Air :also passes to the fuel storage chamber, m, from the valve,

tion device, g, is supplied from the chamber, a., by means of the branchpipe,]c,v leading .from the pipe, c, in front'ofthe reducing valve, d. The fuel .is stored in a chamber, m, and is .conducted by means of the pipe, a, terminating '1n-a nozzle, o, into the `combustionchamber, f. By vproviding a suitable cock, fw, in the ipe e,'the pressure of the air in the ccmbustionchamber, f, 1s reduced below that of the ,air 'in .the fuel chamber, m,

thereby the fuel is sprayed into the chamber,

f, and thoroughly mixed withthe air ready to be ignited by the ignition device g. A j .is preferably provided in order to off the air and fuel supplyin case of can be replaced by any other suitable means which. will give the required reduction ofpressure. In the ignition device, g, the lpercussion primer p, is placed in a suitable case, g, to which there is secured a cylindrical liner, r, the striker, s, which is of a well known form, being carried by the piston, t, at the end opposite to the primer, p. Previous to the moment of vignition thepiston, t, is-held at the farther endzof the liner r, by means of aspring, 2, or the like, but as this spring has practically no duty to perform except when the i niter is in operation it may be made much llghter shut ' than thefsprings-in igniters of thetype in which the full striking load is always acting on ythe spring. Insteadrhowever, of causing the striker -to move against a stationary primer the striker pinmay be made stationary and the primer arranged to move. Such a modification of this ignition device has been shown in Figs; 2 and 4,`Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts of the ignition device before the compressed air has been ad mitted to the combustion chamber, f. When d, by a pipe, z', A and :the Vcompressed air to actuate thev igniloo theair is admitted to the combustion chamber," f it-exerts pressure on the end of the piston, t, projecting from the cylinder, g, and at the same time passes from said chamber, f, between the outer cylinder or casing,

' g, and the sliding piston, t, which carries the primer, p, and then through the groove, y, provided in the outer cylinder (1, and so presses on the under side of the collar shaped portion of the same. The piston, t, is normally held in position by the shearing ring, a, shown separately in Figs. 5 and 6, and placed Within grooves or recesses, w and 2` in t-he outer cylinder4 wall and piston respectively. -The fluid pressure on the piston, t, therefore causes the ring, e, to leave the recess, m, inthe cylinder, this being made possible by forming the recess, so that its breadth decreases with its depth as shown in Fig. 3, and so forces the piston, t, toward the striker, s, until the primer, p, comes into sudden contact with said striker, s, which is carried b v the cap, fv, attached to the cylinder or case, g. The combustible in the chamber, f, thus becomes ignited While the shearing ring, c, is carried Within the piston recess, 2, until it springs into another recess, m', in the cylinder wall so placed as to hold the piston, t, in its uppermost position with the striker, s, in contact with the primer, p, as shown in Fig. 4.

-Many modifications may be made in the details of this ignition device as hereinbei fore described.A Thus, theprimer may be of different form and the spring c superseded by a cylindrical spiral spring or other suitable device.

Having now described my invention what .I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A percussion ignition device comprising a cylinder, a pistf" moving therein, a primer and a striker one of which is carried by said piston ,ivhile the other is fixed to the cylinder and closes one end thereof and means admitting actuating fluid through the other end of the cylinder to act upon the piston whose consequent movement causes the striker and primer to come into contact.

2. Apercussion ignition device comprising a cylinder, a piston moving therein, a primer and a striker one of which is carried by said piston while the other is fixed to the c vlindcr and closes one end thereof, means admitting actuating fluid through the other end of the cylinder to act upon the piston whose consequent movement causes the striker and primer to come into contact, and means to prevent the operation of the device at times other than when the actuating fluid acts upon the piston.

. 3. A percussion ignition device comprising a cylinder, a' piston moving therein, a primer and a striker one of which is carried by said piston While the other is fixed to the cylinder and closes one end thereof, means admitting actuating fluid through the other end of the cylinder to act upon the piston whose consequent movement causes the striker and primer to come into contact, and means for holding said piston in a fixed position before and after operation of the dev1ce.

el. A percussion ignition device comprising a cylinder, a vpiston moving therein, a primer and a striker one of which is carried by said piston while the other is fixed to the cylinder and closes one end thereof, means admitting actuating fluid through the other end of the cylinder to act upon the piston whose consequent movement causes the striker and primer to come into contact, and means for holding said piston in a fixed position before and after operation of the device, said means also acting to prevent operation of the device at times other than whein the piston is subjected to the actuating flui 5. A percussion ignition device comprising in combination a cylinder, a striker rigidly fixed Within said cylinder, a primer movable within said cylinder andmeans for allowing fluid pressure to cause the movement of said primer .thereby bringing the primer into contact with the striker.

6. A percussion ignition device comprising in combination a cylinder, a strikerrigidly fixed within said cylinder, a primer movable Within said cylinder, means for allowing fluid pressure to cause the movement of said primer, thereby bringing the primer into contact with the striker, and means'forl 100 preventing the operation of the ignition device at times other than when the uid pres sure acts uponsad primer.

7. A percussion ignition device comprising in combination a cylinder, a'striker rig- 105 idly fixed within said cylinder, a primer movable within said cylinder, means for ali lowing fluid pressure to cause the movement of said primer thereby bringing the primer into contact with the striker, and means for holding the primer in fixed positions before and after operation of the ignition device.

8. A percussion ignition device comprising in combination a cylinder, a striker rig- 11b idly fixed within said cylinder, a piston -movable within said cylinder, a primer ing in combination a cylinder,

pressure acts upon said means for allowing act on said piston, forced into contact on said piston, means for allowing fluid unl a prlmerk of the ignition device.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

WILLIAM HORACE soDnAU.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL BISHOP, GUs'r, P. Simms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eeh, by addressing the ficommissioner of Patents,

p Washington, ZD.O.

to hold the piston in a l operation of the device 

